Tuesday, 7 April 2009

Human rights violations must be investigated for Both sides

If IDF claimed that Palestinians had used Medical Personnel as cover,let someone else prove it. Surely there are witnesses and IDF havesophisticated equipment in order to gather evidences.

Giving excuses that just because there are incidences of Palestiniansusing Ambulances as cover, all Ambulances are to be destroyed on sightis against Human Rights and War Criminal laws.

Similarly for ordinary Palestinians. Just because some Palestiniansuses terror tactics to fight IDF, it means that all Palestians arearmed and dangerous, including old women and children and ALL MUST BEEXECUTED on sight. Just by admitting this means that IDF has commiteda War Crime.

The only way to resolve this is by having a third and netural party toinvestigate both incidences and both must be punished according to theexisting laws, including that of illegal occupations.

In its defence, the Israeli army said it had not yet concluded itsinvestigation, but that fighters from Gaza's ruling Hamas had foughtunder the cover of ambulances and medical facilities.

'Indiscriminate attacks'

Among the offences listed by PHR are "attacks on medical personnel;damage to medical facilities and indiscriminate attacks on civiliansnot involved in the fighting".

The report further says: "Israel placed numerous obstacles in thecourse of the operation that impeded emergency medical evacuation ofthe sick and wounded and also caused families to be trapped for dayswithout food, water and medications.

In depth

Analysis and features from after the war

"The actions ... violate directives of international law which forbidattacks on medical centres and medical teams during fighting" and"blatantly violated codes of ethics."

The PHR report is the latest in a string of accusations relating tothe conduct of the Israeli army during the Gaza offensive.

Lieutenant-General Gabi Ashkenazi, Israel's army chief of staff,dismissed on Monday allegations that civilians were killed during theassault, based on soldiers' testimonies published last week.

"I do not believe that IDF troops hurt Palestinian civilians in coldblood," he said in a speech.

"We will wait the outcome of an investigation, but my impression isthat the IDF acted morally and if such cases did take place they wereisolated."

Family tragedy

During the offensive, Israeli fire killed 16 Palestinian medicalpersonnel and wounded 25 others while eight hospitals and 26 primarycare clinics were attacked, according to figures from the UnitedNations and the PHR.

Among the specific incidents cited by the PHR report is that of a "MrShurrab" whose two sons were shot by Israeli forces while they drovetowards the southern city of Khan Younis on January16.

"We have noticed a stark decline in IDF morals concerning thePalestinian population of Gaza, which in reality amounts to a contemptfor Palestinian lives"

Dani FilcChairman,Physicians for Human Rights, an Israel NGO"One of the sons died immediately, the other bled to death for 12hours," PHR said.

"All that time the Israeli soldiers were within a short distance fromthe Shurrabs but did not provide any assistance despite the father'srepeated requests."

PHR condemned the Israeli army, which it said "flaunts its morality",for "declining to help evacuate injured civilians and trappedfamilies, when soldiers acted in a trigger-happy manner as they openedfire on ambulances, medical installations and medical personnel".

"It is critical that the investigation of Operation Cast Lead iscompleted by a neutral, external investigator without ties to theIDF."

The Israeli army said it is investigating the claims in a "thorough"manner. It insisted that soldiers were instructed to "act with theutmost caution in order not to cause harm to medical vehicles andmedical facilities".

Hamas blamed

In a statement, the Israeli army blamed Hamas for putting healthpersonnel and medical facilities in harm's way.

"Throughout the fighting, Hamas methodically made use of medicalvehicles, facilities and uniforms in order to conceal and camouflageterrorist activity, and in general used ambulances to carry terroractivists and weapons," it said.

"Hamas used ambulances to "rescue" terror activists from thebattlefield and used hospitals and medical facilities as hidingplaces".

Such actions "greatly complicated the co-ordination of rescue andmedical evacuation", the army said.

"It must be emphasised that under international law, the protectionsafforded to medical teams or "protected institutions" ... cease toexist when these medical teams or institutions are not used forhumanitarian purposes rather for carrying out actions intended to harmthe state of Israel".